How can you tell if your coil packs are in need of replacement? I just want to prevent flooding and have a healthy ignition system. I installed new NGK plugs about 4k miles ago.

 

When you having misfire at higher rpm

or 30K miles.

whichever sooner.

 

I have no misfire at 80k at any RPM's. Oh oh...carma...watch my engine go now.

 

Or you can look underneath your coil packs and see if there are large/noticeable burn marks - usually white in colour. Good indication that they may be on thier way out

 

Good luck

wrong, you can get that spot in a couple hundred miles.

 

I'll check them out. I don't have any misfires ATM. It's taking my car forever to start up though...

 

Found marks on coils whilst trying to sort out poor idle problem. I thought the marks on mine (white marks) was a sign they were on the way out, pissed me off as they were replaced only 1200k's ago .However Mazda dealer says this is a normal marking ??? and cured bad idle probs by cleaning throttle body!

 

I should be thinking of changing mine soon. I have 31k plus miles on mine. The engine is not misfiring or anything though.

 

AVG is 30k. Unless you do a different coil setup. Bhr/ls2

 

Just changed coils at 65k, engine starts much easier now. Just do it would be my thought.

 

see my previous post.

Whoa ... 1200 K miles ago ... so your car has 1,200,000 miles !!!! that's a holy record !!! I thought our odo only has 6 digit space ?

You should, a slowly degrading coils will kill your CAT (and engine)

 

They drive really long distances in countries that use kilometers instead of miles.

Jake - the shop manual has a procedure for testing coils. You can find copies on line...search this site for posts with links. If your time is valuable, it probably makes more sense to just replace the coils rather than go through that procedure. I believe there's a TSB with more info, and a specific debunking of the idea that burn marks on the bottom mean anything.

Ken

 

Thanks guys. I'll just replace them to stay on the safe side. How much do they normally run?

 

Stock cost more than aftermarket. (obviously)

You can ask/pm Mazmart for latest price.

 

Mazda's testing method is not always accurate, especially when it comes to testing electronic stuff. Its just a "very rough" estimate. and this is not the first time (happens on FB/FC/FD/NC/ETC)

I tried it with mine a while ago, its throwing misfire but its within spec. changed the coils to new one no more misfire (and the plugs were couple thousand miles old only, and I pull it out to look at it, still good)

 

Here's mine at 50,000 miles and it doesn't look bad, I think
(Left to right: Leading #1, Leading #2, Trailing #1, and Trailing #2.)

 

50K? stop being cheap and just change it.

it's slowly killing your cat (if you have one) and engine (too long to explain)

 

Interesting read:

http://rotarycarclub.com/rotary_foru...ead.php?t=9175

 

Heat is always an enemy to any electronic devices.

Its not the first time that the coils were "too close" to the engine(HEAATTTTT), Ask FD guys where their coils are mount (assume they still have it) and you will wonder "wtf" is Mazda thinking (sometimes)

FC location was good, the coils are strong ... way too strong for its "stock" power level. too bad I can't use it for my FE, dunno if its even possible *go hug my FC's coil* maybe I should look at it later. (I never dig into the electronic side of things on the 8 yet)